Gaijin

by ContraBardus

A man from another world finds himself alone in a strange world, and fighting for his life. This puts him at odds with The Senshi, the Youma, and the Yakuza. Can a mere human last long against such forces?

35. Chapter 35

Gaijin

Part 35

Tako-samma!

OooOOooOO

Carrot found himself getting odd looks. It had been five days since he'd come back nearly dead. He walked along one of the open wooden walkways of his new home, and noticed every ninja was looking at him longer than normal. Most of them ignored him, he got irate if they stopped what they were doing when he moved by. He was dressed in black ninja garb and had his sword across his back. He didn't bother with the hood and had his mask tucked away in one of his pockets.

Kei walked up behind him fast enough to catch up with a smile that was irritating him. "You did get them to stop bowing at least."

"You'd think the Japanese Emperor was wandering about." The boy seemed annoyed at the thought of it. "I'm a gaijin. People bowing and scraping to me like that just rubs me wrong."

"You do know that to these people, you -are- the Emperor. The clan is yours, in a way not even Hisami could command. That sword was waiting for you." She seemed cheerful as she said it and skipped a bit as she walked beside him.

"I'd like to know where it came from. I've a feeling I'll find out and regret it later." The boy shrugged. "I respect them enough not to make them pause their lives just because I'm within sight. What started that anyway?"

"I hate to tell you, but you've made it worse. You got better too fast for them. There are techniques which hasten healing of course, but you seem to have a natural gift." The girl shrugged and kept pace beside him. She was very aware she was irritating him, and seemed to enjoy it.

The boy's eyebrows furrowed. "Great. Well, I think those girls are out and about. They've started patrolling the city at night." The sun was dipping down in the distance over the treetops.

Kei nodded and her grin faded a bit. "Yes. They leave at sunset every night."

Carrot shrugged. "I've got to go out myself. I've got to talk with a few people. I've got a problem with a mass murdering monster. The homeless problem in Tokyo seems to be cleaning itself up. The politicians are trying to take credit. It's being ignored."

"That Carnage thing?" Kei looked thoughtful.

"Yeah. I'm betting I'll find Usagi nearby." The boy sighed. "Plus, there's that dork in a bed sheet I ran into the other night. I've got to figure out what he wants. Plus that thing that tried to kill me and those two idiot cops. Oh, and all while trying to avoid the notice of the giant monster that keeps attacking the city. It doesn't like me, and I'm not keen on running into her when Uranus isn't around. Oh, and I've got to find a way to get that thing off Sailor Moon, so she can save the planet and all."

The kunoichi nodded. "All right."

The boy looked over and frowned at her. "You're not coming."

"Why shouldn't I? I'm not one of the clan. I don't have to listen to you." She didn't seem to think anything of his tone.

"If you try to come, I'll just lose you like I always do. Look. I need some 'me' time all right. You've been sitting next to me for a week. You waited until I passed out to go to the bathroom." He seemed irate with her position on the matter. She didn't look convinced.

"Why do you need time alone? You don't have to masturbate or anything. You can use me for that if you like." The girl said it as if she was commenting on how nice the day was.

His face fell and he looked a bit taken by the statement. "You're solving the wrong problem. Look, do you work for me or something? If you do, then you do have to take orders. If not, what the hell is wrong with you?"

She shrugged. "You're not getting rid of me unless you kill me. It's pretty much what's left of my honor."

The boy hung his head. "Fine. Whatever. I need time for me. Go away for a while. I live here. I'll be around all right? No one is going to hurt you. They all know you're with me. I'm not taking the train again."

The girl frowned for a moment but nodded. She seemed to calm and watched him walk off before taking another hallway back into the complex.

OooOOooOO

Carrot felt free, even though he knew he was doomed. He had run out of aches, and it was time to get new ones. He was swinging across the rooftops of the city breathing a heavy sigh or relief.

He landed on the roof of a three story building near to a small suburb and waved. Yoshi walked up with a grin on his face from behind a nearby air conditioning unit.

"I've got a viable solution."

The boy smiled and looked pleased. He also hadn't relaxed.

"A gamma bomb. I know I can do it. If we can lure it in, and set off the explosion, it will destroy the unit. I'm sure of it." He looked certain and serious as he adjusted his glasses.

"I think that's a bad idea." The boy's face fell and he looked nervous.

"Why?" Yoshi frowned at him.

"Because I think it will turn you into a giant angry green man, that only gets stronger as he becomes more angry. I don't think it would be much fun for either one of us." The boy hung his shoulders.

"It's the only way. The sonic emitters are too bulky. You could use them to drive one of them off, or several to contain one for a bit." The man shrugged. "I doubt we could set off an explosion large enough to generate enough heat to kill it in the city. It would leave a pretty big hole and a huge mess behind. We'd be lucky if no one died. This is...viable."

Carrot sat down on the edge of the roof and sighed. "Don't ever say I didn't warn you."

"What? Where did you get a silly idea like that?" The man looked confused.

"A comic book." He shrugged. "If it does turn out that way, don't come looking to me for a cure. It never happened in the comic."

"I wouldn't worry about that then. I'm a real scientist, it doesn't work that way." The older man chuckled and shook his head.

Carrot shrugged at his amused expression and looked quite serious. "Yeah. Well, I used to read one called Spiderman too. Look how that turned out."

The man's face fell and he looked confused. "R-really? Well, I suppose it works. Don't worry about it."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Do what you have too. Just be careful. If you do turn into a giant angry green man, please don't smash me."

Yoshi nodded and smiled at him. "All right. It's going to take some time. Be careful." He turned away and pulled his coat up to cover his chest as he shuffled off.

The boy frowned and jumped off the roof. There wasn't anything else he could accomplish that evening. It was about time for things to go wrong again.

OooOOooOO

"You're dead!" Kei looked up, several fallen shinobi littered the ground around him. She was crouched low, and two groups, one shinobi, the other Yakuza stood behind either one of them.

"Where is the boy?" Hisami tightened his arms around the ninja in his tentacles. It was a twenty something man who screamed in pain as his arms and ribs cracked under the pressure. "I've no business with the clan at this time. I'll be seeing you again once I have what is mine again. Your laws won't allow you to interfere. After all, it is still my legal property." The shinobi remained on guard, but hung their heads and looked frustrated and powerless.

The boy grunted through gasps. "He's... not here. He does... not tell us... where he goes." The man snorted and knocked two more jumping ninja and three throwing knives away with his tentacles. One of them caught one of the knives in the air with the robotic claws on the end, and crushed it with ease. The man's gaze fell on the kunoichi who had thrown it.

"Well. If it isn't Kei. I wasn't expecting you to still be alive. I take it you've not managed to kill him then?" She jumped over a few swipes from his arms and back flipped, only to get caught across the jaw, and then in the belly by two of his new arms. "Heh." He wrapped her up and pulled her towards him. "You should be dead, one way or another. Interesting." The towering figure walked over to the road and tossed her into a ring of black cars. There were twenty or more armed men standing in defense of their vehicles, all wearing black suits and sunglasses. The ninja ignored them in favor of what had come out of the caravan. "Take her back to my office. I'll be along shortly, bind her ankles and hands, and keep two men with eyes on her at all times until I arrive. I have unfinished business with this one." He glared at the villagers, they were standing about and glaring back at him. They looked sullen and angry, but passive. None moved to stop him and stayed a good distance from the scene.

Hakage stepped out from behind the crowd, it parted in his wake. He looked up at the man and frowned, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "Hisami. What business do you have here?"

"I've come to claim what is mine. I'll be dealing with you once I've finished my business with that boy. I've not forgotten what you did to my son." The Yakuza boss gave him a firm frown. "I would kill you now, but I'll enjoy it more if I have power over you again. You won't be able to stop me." His metal arms snapped out before anyone could react. Hakage was on one knee, both his arms hanging in a limp manner at his sides. The metal arms had snapped his arms near the shoulders. The village jumped back and gasped almost as one. Several weapons had been drawn, but no one moved to attack. "I'd rather not have to kill the rest of my clan doing it. I'll leave you for now. Take her up to my office when we arrive. I'll be seeing you again soon."

The elder of the clan grunted in pain. "I'd have done the same to you, had you tried to command us without that sword."

The old man frowned and nodded. "I'm aware of that."

The men were using tazers on the girl on the ground, her hands and ankles were bound with handcuffs. She was lifted onto her feet and shoved into one of the nearby cars. Her head was hung down, and she was drooling a bit with a dazed expression. She looked at the shinobi surrounding the scene before being shoved across the back seat of one of the cars.

OooOOooOO

Carrot was standing on the corner of a tall building, looking down at the city before him. The wind pulled at his clothes a bit and he had a small frown on his face. He could see where he was going in the distance beyond the suburbs. His phone was in his hand and he was calling back the number that had called him. After a moment the other end picked up. "Yeah? You wanted something?"

"I am Tako-samma. I have something that belongs to you." The boy froze and stood in a sort of daze. A familiar voice was throwing a large number of very angry sounding curses in the background.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Carrot was pissed beyond belief. "Grrrr. I told her to stay put."

"Come and get her. I'm sure you can use the number to find the address." The voice chuckled as the line went dead.

OooOOooOO

Hisami smiled as he turned to look at Kei. She was on top of his bed in a very small silk robe. Her arms and legs were bound on the heavy posts with thick ropes. The old man had taken a perverse enjoyment in disarming her already. She stopped speaking and glared at him.

"When he arrives, I'm going to break his arms and legs, and force him to watch me enjoy you." The man was giving her a rather dark smile. "You will be mine until you die."

"Why would he come for me? I tried to kill him you idiot!" The girl was snarling and spit at him from her bonds. It didn't come close to hitting him and he smiled. "What does he care if you kill me?"

"Yes, that could be true. I doubt it though. After all, he must have some use for you, otherwise why bother keeping you alive?" The fingers on the ends of the arms snapped open and closed as he loomed over her. "I'll give him two hours. We'll see if you're right or not."

She pushed her head towards him. "Kill me now and be done with it then!"

"Oh, I intend too. After I force him to watch me have you, I'm going to make him watch me peel the skin off your flesh." One of the arms snapped by her face and she screamed in pain as it ripped a patch of hair off just over her forehead. "Now sit there and shut your mouth. You're my slave until you die. Hakage will suffer for what he has done. Not as much as your new friend. You seemed quite willing to side with him, growing more defiant with each new meeting. An interesting trend. I wonder how long it took the two of you to cook this up?"

"That boy is going to kill you." The girl growled back. "That sword is his in a way you cannot understand."

The open claw was around her face, not touching, but hovering just close enough for her to get a really good look at an empty looking hole in the middle. Kei gasped and shuddered as a long spike moved out towards her at a slow pace. The tip pricked the bridge between her eyes and she struggled to keep her head still as blood seeped into her left eye. She was gasping and rolled her eyes up, waiting for the strike.

"He won't be much of a challenge. These arms were designed to deal with him. He's a problem for quite a few of our partners." The old man snorted and pulled the arm and spike back. "I couldn't allow your end to be so easy."

OooOOooOO

Mamoru Chiba stood atop a tall apartment complex, he chuckled as a small bouncing object turned the corner in an alleyway behind him. The boy flipped off the edge of the building and pointed his foot down as their paths, almost, intersected. Carrot was stuck to a nearby wall looking on as Mamoru stayed squatting low after his landing.

"Yeah, the ground is still hard buddy." Carrot seemed amused for a moment. The jerk had tried to land on him. "Look, I'm kind of in a hurry. Nothing special, one of my friends got kidnapped by a homicidal maniac and all. Normal everyday stuff really."

The mask turned to face him. "What?" His back popped as he stood up straight.

"Later man." Spiderman zipped away, dressed as a ninja. Mamoru noted the sword and frowned as he shot out a wire line from his clubs and followed.

"You're not getting away so easy!" He passed over the boy and came down, lobbing his clubs at him.

Carrot dodged them, and did it again as they bounced off the walls and into the robed figure's hands again. He stood in a battle ready stance in front of him as the boy landed. "Look you jerk. I don't have time for this tonight. We can beat each other up later. Someone else is in trouble this time."

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss. If it's a friend of yours, I'm sure I wouldn't have liked them anyway. I am the Fearless Oni, and I will defeat you."

"Yer a prick. Daredevil now? Sheesh." Carrot was not amused and didn't bother with taking up a fighting stance. "Look. You can come with me, we'll help her out, and then beat the living shit out of each other after. It'll be fun. We'll make a night of it. I'm kind of in a hurry you know. Try and keep up."

Mamoru clenched his fist in frustration and followed. "You're not taking me seriously! Get back here and fight like a man!"

"Shut up, Toilet Paper Man!"

"These are traditional robes you gaijin dope!"

Another voice rang out over the alleyway. The wall just in front of the pair exploded outward, sending dust and debris in every direction. Carrot cursed.

"While the parents are away, the children will play! Ha ha ha ha haaa!" Carnage stuck to the inside of the crater in the wall opposite the explosion.

"You monster! Those children are orphans! All because of you!" A hulking silver monster on four legs was lashing it's tail about in rage.

Carnage seemed to slide up the wall cackling as the other cyborg watched. "Don't worry. They'll be joining them once I'm through with you! After all, how can you protect all the other children, if you're stuck here guarding these two?! Don't worry kids! Mom and Dad are gone! It's time to play!" The creature called out to the cries of young children hidden away in the remains of their home.

Carrot cursed again. This time Mamoru did it with him.

"We will destroy you!" Venom jumped at the wall, but Carnage slithered out of the way, traveling on what looked like a puddle , the monster had to liquefy the arms and legs of it's host to do it.

"Great. She's pissed already." Carrot hung his head and sighed. "Why now? Of all the..."

Mamoru socked him across his jaw. "What the hell is going on here?"

The boy frowned. He needed to drive off Carnage. "Hey, asshole. Remember me?" The boy drew the sword from his back and glared up at the thing on the wall.

Usagi's head turned as Carnage noticed them. The monster on the wall spoke up. "Aw, shit. It's mom's boyfriend. Guess we'll have to play later kids. I'm gonna be busy for a minute."

Usagi was having trouble turning her gaze back to her former target. "Right. Prioritize our objectives."

"Come on, Tsukino. We're supposed to get rid of him. Remember?" Carrot was glaring up at Carnage. "I'm kind of in a hurry tonight. Can we skip the banter and just cut to the chase?"

Venom didn't respond as it jumped up, landed next to the other monster, ripped it off the wall, and tossed it right at Spiderman. Carnage turned himself into a large ball with lots of long spikes as he flew towards the boy.

He fell on either side of him in two pieces that crackled with electrical power and bubbled for a moment.

"Eeeh. I was hoping he'd kill you. It would have freed up my night." Mamoru snorted and looked at the two oozing halves.

"Hey! Look here Toilet Paper Man! What the hell is your problem anyway? You..."

"I told you! It's 'Fearless Oni'!"

"Mamoru?" The large silver monster looked at the boy as it's voice grew more feminine.

"What the hell? Wait, what you said earlier...It can't be!" The man in the wooden mask took a staggering step back looking between the pair. "No! You're not! What are you? Why are you impersonating her?"

"Oh." Carrot seemed to understand something already. "Hey. Where's..." His eyes went wide as he gasped in horror. "NO!" He rushed up to the open wall and hung his head. The cries had stopped, written out on the floor in blood was a note to them. "Playtime was fun, sorry you missed it!" There was a large happy face that was being consumed by the blood pooling around a six year old girl. "We'll play again soon!" was half consumed by the pooling liquid.

Usagi reared back and roared in rage. "You! You did this! You let him get away! Spiderman!"

"Fuck you! You're the one who lost him! Screwing around and taking shots at me! We're supposed to be working together. Anyway, you two have something to talk about don't you? If you're Mamoru Chiba, and I'm sure that you are, you prick, then this is Usagi Tsukino. She got her hands on a prototype weapon some local tech firm cooked up. They haven't worked out all the bugs yet. You two have a good time, but I've really got to go. Time sensitive and all that!" The boy gave a small wave and jumped away.

"Hey! Get back here! You've not been punished yet!" Venom tore off after him.

"Yeah! I'll make sure whatever is left is dead!" Mamoru didn't seem quite sure of himself as he followed.

"Damn it! Stop that you brat!" Carrot had to let go of a few lines and jerk around her as she tried to snag him with lines of her own. "Look. One of my friends is in a bit of trouble. Can we deal with this later? I'm kind of in a hurry."

"No! We refuse to believe that you have 'friends'!" Usagi snarled as she landed on the wall opposite him. Mamoru went by, unable to stop and hang about as he lacked the ability to stick. He landed on a nearby rooftop and listened in.

"Stop being an ass for just one night will ya? Someone's gonna get hurt tonight either way, and I'd prefer it if they deserved it." The boy glared at her and sent out another line. "If you're not going to help, then get lost." He called out over his shoulder as he swung away.

Both stayed where they were. Usagi turned towards the boy on the rooftop and jumped towards him. Her monstrous form melted away and she looked up at him. "Hello, Mamoru."

The boy in the mask nodded. "Usagi. What happened?"

The girl burst into tears and tried to move towards him, but he stepped back and put his hand up. "Wait. Something feels wrong about you."

"Wait! I know! Come off for a moment would you? Just leave a line then, not all the way, just enough, so..." She nodded and smiled. "Yes. That will work!"

Mamoru took off his mask and gasped. His eyes were closed, but he turned his face down at the strange puddle that had filled her shadow.

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were blind? What happened, how are you...?" The girl didn't look nervous and stepped forward with a sort of calculating concern on her face. Her voice was strained and she sniffed a bit. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you! It's my fault you got hurt!"

Chiba nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. "I am blind, but I've learned to see another way. I wish I could see your face again, but I can almost see you better than before."

The girl felt the unit help stabilize her knees as she fell into his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. How could this have gone so wrong? I..."

"It's...done. There's nothing either of us can do now. About any of it." He looked in the direction the boy had gone, and then back towards the murdered family.

OooOOooOO

Carrot opened the door to Hisami's office. He stepped inside and looked around with a frown on his face. "Damn brat, can't anyone I know stay put? What is with..." He could see Kei tied to a bed in one of the mirrors on the wall. "Damn." Her mouth was gagged and she was struggling to work it off with little success. "Guess they didn't forget."

"Why would I do that?" A horrible and familiar voice called out. The chair at the desk turned.

"Hisami." The boy's eyes went wide and he crouched as he glanced around. He was expecting lots of people to burst in. "It can't be...you...you..." His brain hurt, comic book villains never died of course. It was the most logical explanation.

The boy jumped back as the desk was smashed to splinters as four arms burst through it and snapped at him. He hopped a few times as they made grabs for him and ended up near the door. "Aw, shit."

"Hisami is dead, you destroyed everything I had. I am Tako-samma, and I will have my revenge!" Hisami spread his robotic arms to their full fifteen foot span.

"Hey! You're not Mexican!" Carrot jabbed his finger at him and snarled as he stood tall and frowned at him.

The metal arms took a swipe at the boy, he flipped back onto the wall and looked up as the man screamed in frustration. "I am Japanese! You idiot!" The masked boy hopped a bit to the side on the wall as another tentacle slammed into the plaster, crushing it in and sending dust and chunks to the floor.

Spiderman looked up and shrugged. "If you say so. I'm pretty sure you've got to be at least half Mexican to call yourself Taco-samma."

"Gajin buffon!" Hisami used his tentacles like whips, but the boy jumped around them with relative ease.

The boy sent a bit of web into the old man's face and heaved. The metal arms planted themselves into the ceiling and walls to keep him in place, his new spine prevented his neck from snapping. The old man grunted as the skin on his face was pulled outward hard. "You little!"

Carrot had learned his lesson about using his head. He planted his fist across the man's jaw as he launched himself through the air like a slingshot. Hisami flew away, shattering the wall behind him as he fell outside the building.

"Well, should I wait for him to come back?" The boy was cautious about the hole as he peered at the building across from them. His senses blared and he jumped on the wall opposite the hole as a chunk of concrete slammed through the broken wall and crushed part of the next. "Guess not." He dove as another hunk of concrete came smashing through the wall. His next impatient tantrum had managed to stick halfway through the wall.

The boy ducked under another rock and took his sword out to cut the ropes on the girl's arms and legs free. She was looking at him with wide eyes and seemed quite surprised. He lifted her up and moved near the back of the room as a very large rock landed on the bed where they had been, along with a good section of wall. "Hey, um, any chance you can make it out of here without me? He seems a bit impatient."

She nodded, the gag still over her mouth. She looked firm and confident as her eyes became focused. She took a staggering step back and turned to jog out of the room. He went for the hole in the wall and peered outside. He had to duck as another rock almost knocked him upside his skull.

The boy took another glance before diving out the wall. He landed against the outside wall and looked down. Forced to duck and hop aside as two more boulders of brick and mortar bounced off the sides of the wall. "Hold your horses! I wasn't sure if you were coming back inside or not."

The Yakuza boss was ripping hunks of the opposite building off to throw at him as they climbed down towards the street together.

Carrot landed on a lamp post and then moved aside down to the street as he watched the man heave another car at him. It impaled itself on the lamp post. Hisami was using the lower arms to support the upper pair as they hefted and tossed the vehicles about.

The boy crouched low and snorted. "Look. Are you finished? You're not going to hit me that way." A motorcycle passed over him and he stood back up.

"I hope you don't think she's escaped. Once I've finished with you, I'll use her own clan to hunt her down, and finish her off myself." Hisami was giving him a dark confident smile.

"You're nothing but a dirty old man with a bad mexican name. What a joke." Spiderman pointed his sword at the man.

Hisami froze, his eyes went wide, and his features fell. "It...it can't be."

"Yeah." The boy noticed and smirked as he wiped his nose with his finger.

"No matter. It is still my property after all." The man growled as he picked himself up and rushed forward, lashing out with his arms at the shinobi as he did so. "I won't be denied what is mine."

The ninja was jumping about just out of reach of the arms and ducked under a few more before hopping and flipping over another as he pushed his way forward and slammed his fist into the man's jaw.

Hisami flew into the air and landed almost on his back. His arms saved him from the impact and he shook his head as he hung suspended and stunned for a moment.

Carrot used a line to swing at him feet first, but ended up pushing off two of the arms, and hooking him across the jaw with a punch instead. He turned into a sword strike at his neck, but the side of one of the arms blocked the strike and sent sparks flying as the metal collided.

Carrot was thrown back as one of the arms whipped out, catching him in the chest along the length. Two of the arms snapped at him, but he used his power to stick his hand against the whipping arm to prevent from being thrown and caught by the snapping claws at the last second. He felt his shoulder pop out of the socket for a moment at the wrenching force of the sudden stop. He planted his feet onto the ground and grunted as he tugged, sending a burning pain flaring up in his arm. The old man was tossed into the side of a car, crushing it in his wake.

The boy grinned as a crackling power formed across his chest and arms. The old man was lifted up in an instant, off the ground and out of danger by the arms. The old man's foot hit his face as he was sent flying back into a brick wall. He grunted in pain and pulled himself over his own arms to stick just over where two of the arms made a grab for him. He fell off as the other pair collided where he had been and ran up the length of one of them with his sword drawn. He was going for the man's head, but one of the tentacles curved and blocked the strike.

Carrot ended up landing on the pavement on his feet and one hand, the sword held back behind him as he glared at the Yakuza boss. The pair looked on as sirens blared, the police had arrived on the scene. Two squad cars screamed to a halt as uniformed officers stepped out brandishing guns.

The old man snorted. He turned to face them, the arms getting in their line of fire as they opened up. Two of them lifted one of the cars and hefted it at the retreating officers as they fired the occasional shot. It sailed through the air, almost landing on top of them.

Carrot screamed in pain as he flew into the side of it in mid air, denting the roof in, and shattering most of the windows. It moved to the right, missing the targets and landing on two other cars. He landed squatting down, holding his arm. "Oh man. That sucked! Ouch." His eyes snapped up, and his hand stuck to the manhole cover on the ground at his side. He put it up to deflect the robot arm that was about to hit him in the face.

The boy sucked in a sharp breath as a long metal spike was poking between his fingers and pointing at his nose. "Oh. That's interesting." He twisted his wrist and the spike bent up, hooking it onto the cover. The arms, sliced through most of it, but got caught up on the thick middle section. He grabbed two of the fingers and heaved over his head with all his might.

The old man landed on top of the roof of a nearby van, shattering all the glass, and crushing the roof in. The boy snarled as he jerked the man into the side of another car, sidestepped to avoid one of the lashing arms, and spun around before letting go.

The old man sailed through the air, and caught himself against two opposite lamp post at the next intersection. He glared forward, looked up at the sky, and growled. The sound of helicopters could be heard in the air. There were a few news vans that could be seen rushing towards the scene a ways down the road. "Another time boy. You've not been forgotten." Hisami vanished below the street under a man hole cover.

Carrot just gave a nod. "Damn it. If it's not one thing, it's another." He sent out a line with his good arm and pulled himself into the air. Swinging about with one good arm wasn't much fun, and took a bit of concentration. He left the scene and vanished into the dark alleys of the city before anyone could get a good look. He took another glance over his shoulder towards where the Yakuza had gone and shook his head. "Taco-samma? What a douche."

OooOOooOO

"I'm never going out again." Carrot was on his back on the roof of a run down apartment building. He had his eyes squeezed shut and was feeling about his shoulder. "Crap, this is going to be sore for hours at least."

"If it was me, it'd be a month or two. You shouldn't grumble." Kei walked up and knelt down beside him.

"I told you to meet me later." He didn't seem irate or annoyed with her as he sat up. He just looked up at her without much surprise and gave a small sigh.

"I told you before, I don't like being there without you. I'm not one of them anymore." She shrugged and sat down hugging her knees. She'd managed to grab a pair of pants, but was still wearing the silk robe as a top.

"Yeah. Well, I guess I get to take the train back then." He stood up. Jiro's place was nearby. "I'm going for a drink."

The girl nodded. "I'll go with you."

He frowned at her. "This is going to make it worse isn't it?"

She looked down at the pavement and stayed put as he walked forward. "Why did you come?"

"Huh?" He seemed surprised and confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I tried to kill you! I gave you that scar! How can you be so...why did you come? You should have left me...Why?" She was trying very hard not to show emotion, but her voice wavered a bit.

The boy hung his head and stopped. "Look. No one gets left behind. I wasn't about to let that prick have his way anyway. Just, come on would you? I'm tired, I want something with alcohol so it will kill the pain in my arm."

"I tried to kill you! You act as though you trust me!" She seemed to get a bit irate. "Why? I only told him how to contact you so you would know the school had been attacked. I wasn't expecting you to..."

"Just come on would you?" He waved his hand for her to follow and started moving. "You're not cursed anymore, right? You seem fine now. I've got a sense for stuff like that. Don't worry about it."

OooOOooOO

Carrot had tears in his eyes. Spike was holding him against the bar by force, Gia was looking at his shoulder and prodding it in a painful manner. She'd pulled his collar down over it and was inspecting the swollen flesh. "Yup, you've torn yourself up pretty good again."

"I..ouch...noticed...cut it out...that." The boy was annoyed and still had half a shot left in his glass. All he could do was look at it.

Kei was leaning against the bar watching while sipping on a small sake cup. She seemed unconcerned, but less amused than normal. It seemed to be of mild interest and little more.

"You're staying at the clinic tonight. This will take a bit to heal even with you. Jeez, what did you do to it?" Gia sat back and downed her own shot as Spike let him go.

"I rammed a cop car out of the air with my shoulder." The boy was annoyed and clutched at it. "Just after I dislocated it."

Spike seemed pleased to hear it. "Same ting happened to Tank. It's how he got his nickname. Took out one o dose minis dey got. Got laid out for weeks, got da name on the inside. He was da only one who got caught cause he done it."

The boy nodded. "Yeah. Well, don't ever try it. It sucks."

"So, that thing with the arms. You're saying it was Hisami?" Mei Lin was leaning over the bar with a notepad and a huge grin. "Wow. He's dead though isn't he?" None of the news crew had seen more than a glimpse of someone suspended by the arms in the far distance. The only photos were grainy and blurred.

"Nah. Had a run in with your friend tonight too. Why are you out again?" The boy took the rest of his shot and leveled his stare at her. "You do realize something in the city wants to torture and kill you, right?"

Mei Lin went a bit flushed and backed off a bit. She sipped on a mug of beer and avoided eye contact.

Gia slapped his injured arm to get his attention. His head snapped around to face her with pain clear in his features. "Hey. Don't go sneaking off. That's going to hurt more than you think tomorrow. I'm going to give you something for the pain. I want to have a look at it again in the morning before you leave."

"I'm surprised you can still move your arm." Kei nodded and took a last look at his swollen shoulder as he pulled his shirt back over it.

"It works fine." He moved his fingers about and flexed his elbow. Gia bumped into him and he hopped away as his arm exploded in pain again. He turned to say something rude, but found himself watching Spike kiss her. "Eh..." It was kind of gross, as they both seemed to enjoy trying to shove their tongues as far into each other's mouth as they could. "I guess he's winning." He shook his head and turned back towards the bar.

Kei leaned in and nodded. "I'm guessing that's why she likes him."

Carrot froze with a look of horror on his face as he seemed to remember something. "Oh man." He turned to look at the couple. He waved Jiro over and pulled at his collar. "Hey. Jiro, give me a shot of something strong, and let me borrow that guitar you've got in the back for a moment."

The old man gave him a surprised looking frown. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I saw them looking at your arm. Looks pretty bad."

"Not as bad as it'll be if I get no sleep. There's no way she's going home alone tonight. If I try to run, she'll get him to help her tie me up and drag me there. I'm not so confident my bodyguard here will stop them either."

"Afraid not." Kei poured herself a small cup of Sake from her bottle.

The old man shrugged and slapped a glass on the counter before filling it with a black labeled bottle. The boy took it down in a gulp and rushed away.

Gia stopped kissing Spike and looked about ready to chase him, but seemed to relax and lean into his chest as he came out with a guitar. Her eyes went wide and she jumped up again. "That little. Is he crazy? I'll clock him for..." She slowed down as he started though and seemed a bit bemused.

He started playing and spoke into the microphone, catching the attention of the bar. "This is a song...for the ladies, but -Spike-..." The man seemed to notice and turned a rather glazed stare towards the stage.

"Huh?"

"...listen closely. You don't always have to fuck her hard. In fact, sometimes that's not right to do. Some times you've got to make some love, and fuckin give em some smooches too. Sometimes you've got to squeeze, sometimes you've got to say 'please', sometimes you've just got to say, I'm gonna fuck you, softly..." The boy got bemused stares and a few hooting cheers as he finished 'FHG' by Tenacious D.

He sat back down at the bar, Jiro put another shot down in front of him. He downed it, gripped his shoulder, and looked at the group. "Whenever you're ready."

Spike hung back and let Gia and Kei move towards the door ahead. He made Carrot pause for a moment. "R...really?"

OooOOooOO

It was three in the morning. Carrot was on his cot, his eyes half open, with an odd grin on his face. He'd just woken up from a great dream, and he felt warm, and tingled a bit. The pain killers were working well, he couldn't feel his arm. He wasn't sure why he'd woken up, but felt very relaxed and mellow. He reached down to scratch himself, but paused as something got in the way.

"Huh?" He lifted the sheets and his eyes went wide. "What? Hey! Cut that out! Leave that alone would you?"

Kei slid up his chest with a rather wicked looking grin on her face. "Don't forget, I never promised to obey you." She bit at his neck and kissed him. His good arm flailed a bit, his other was too wrapped up to move. He relaxed after a moment and frowned at her as she pulled her head back, keeping her chest against his. "Good boy."

"Well, the pain killers seem to be working." His arm hadn't flared up and he frowned.

"You like me. Admit it." She bit at his cheek this time.

"Maybe it's just the drugs. Come on, would ya...oh...come...on...hey...you...little..."

OooOOooOO

Carrot almost screamed in pain. He'd woken up, feeling a big groggy, with Kei sleeping next to him in the nude. He ignored it, found some pants, and stepped out the door. Only to be engulfed in a warm, and painful embrace. "What the?" He was released, and his cheek felt warm and wet. "Ouch!" His shoulder had been fine until Gia had rushed up and hugged him the moment he stepped out.

"Thank you! I'll pay you back someday! I swear!" The woman had tears of joy in her eyes.

"Jus wanted some sleep." The boy seemed a little less surly than usual.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I took care of it already." Kei smiled as she walked out behind him and shook his good shoulder.

He seemed annoyed for a moment and stumbled towards the kitchen. "Is there any coffee yet?"

"Mornin Kid." Spike was smiling at the table with a cup of his own. There was a small flask next to his cup.

"Oh, good." The boy smiled and staggered towards it.

Gia looked at the kunoichi and frowned a bit. "You're a bit young."

She shrugged. "I have to hang around him for the rest of my life. It's a matter of great honor. Might as well make the most of it."

The woman nodded and smiled, looking towards the table. "I suppose, when you put it that way..."

"Goddamnit. How the hell did this happen again?" Carrot was seated by Spike with a cup between his hands.

"Ya done pretty good." The man seemed impressed.

Carrot glared at him. "Not that long ago she was trying to kill me. I can't believe this happened again." He belted his head against the tabletop as Mei Lin sat down beside him.

"Hey. When does the superhero who likes to date reporters show up? He'd better have a cute butt!"

"Shut up." Carrot grumbled his response without lifting his head up.

OooOOooOO

TBC...

Next Time: The chase.

AN: Tako is Japanese for 'Octopus'